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Advice on picking boomy, warm combo?

#41
There is loud, and there is loud. IMHO, if you don't have 10 to 30 times the watts of the guitarist, you are doomed to serious compromise in tone and representation in the live mix--of course a great PA is a thing of surpassing loveliness, as is any 1200 watt power amp.
 
#42
Jim Carr said:
IMHO, if you don't have 10 to 30 times the watts of the guitarist, you are doomed to serious compromise in tone and representation in the live mix
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There are so many other factors involved in the process that this may be true but is not a sealed rule either.

In my personal case, knowing how to generate a low-mid oriented tone from my equipment makes me cut through easily with the BA115.

Lately, I've seen a guy with a Warwick Infinity and a Fender/Sunn 1200W amp, who was hardly hearable with only a guitar player and a drummer. Guess he was cranking too many lows and not enough mids/low-mids.
 
#43
Jim Carr said:
There is loud, and there is loud. IMHO, if you don't have 10 to 30 times the watts of the guitarist, you are doomed to serious compromise in tone and representation in the live mix--of course a great PA is a thing of surpassing loveliness, as is any 1200 watt power amp.
Click to expand...

A DI box (based on an amp, or stand-alone) should be every bassist's good friend, or if nothing else, an acknowledged if unloved partner. The DI in so many cases can make wattage/volume/etc... deficiencies a non-issue.
 
#45
Well, I bought an amp and cabinet as a substitute for a combo. Did this for cost savings above all, and the desire for a 15" cabinet, however irrational that may seem.

I feel in love with an amp, feel in love and love completely. It was the Mesa Walkabout amp head, to which I added the Mesa 15" extension cabinet. Just got it tonight (via TB). Drove 100s of miles both ways to get it.

Playing on this amp amp is so much better than anything I've heard, except for an old Ampeg Portaflex b12 or b15 (which isn't all that loud if you don't have bass on PA). But this amp is not delicate and precious like a fine vintage wine. It is growly and sophisticated, with delicate EQs and fine grain. And the cabinet has incredible THUMP like a bass should have in this hiphop era of super-low bass tonalities and the lasting genre appeal of deep loud 70s funk.
 
#46
magikmarker said:
BOOMY (probably from a 15" driver)
WARM/ TUBEY/ TUBEY-SOUNDING

I'm thinking of Ampeg BA115 (easy to find used) or Ampeg B100R (hard to find used!!) or maybe Fender TV Bassman 15 (so pricey).

What am I missing? .
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Either of the Ampegs will be great for what you are looking for. The B100R has the vintage Mojo going for it, where as the BA115 might jube a bit more modern sounding with the tweeter. I've played both on stage, and own the B100R - it's the closest thing to a real B15 out there IMO. Just don't forget the flatwounds on the P-bass!
 

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